


Gone Fishin'

by anonymouse_fiction



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Humor, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Slapstick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-05
Updated: 2016-04-05
Packaged: 2018-05-31 11:08:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6467833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anonymouse_fiction/pseuds/anonymouse_fiction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Give a mage a fish, and he'll eat for a day. Teach a mage to fish, and he'll send the camp into a tizzy. Where Ricken tries to fish, Donnel tries to teach him to fish, and fishing hooks are more devious than they appear.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gone Fishin'

**Author's Note:**

> For those of you wondering why Ricken and Donnel get along so well in this fic despite not having any supports... In every game file I created, these two dual guard and dual crit with the highest rate of any of my units. But they only do this when they are paired together. Don't ask, I haven't a clue why either. And the MU (Inanna) doesn't get along with Tharja at all... so those two are constantly bickering. Please enjoy, everyone!

 

~A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work.~

“Man, not even a nibble…” Ricken said in a frustrated tone.           

       He sighed as he watched the bobber drift in the open water of the stream. Not a single fish had even attempted to take a bite, and the poor little mage was beginning to become distraught. A recommendation from Stahl to try something besides practicing his fire magic to get his mind off things had lead him to go pester Fredrick for something to do… who promptly recommended that he wash the horses. Not feeling like doing that much work with no supervision, he went to go see Inanna, the resident tactician. He came into her tent to find her arguing with Anna over which route to take, but something had been a little… off.

_“Uh… Inanna? Is that you?” he asked, sights set on a small white cat sitting on the map._

_“Hrm? Oh, yes! Yes it is, dear. What can I do for you today, Ricken?” she asked, waving a paw at him to come closer._

_“I just had a question. I’ll stay over here.” He said timidly. Inanna rolled her eyes and scoffed._

_“Are you worried about this? Psh, I’ll be back to normal in no time. Tharja’s hexes aren’t contagious, and they don’t last long on me anyways!” she said happily. Anna just sighed._

_“I can’t believe you’re the brains of this outfit.” Inanna’s gaze snapped over to meet hers._

_“Now listen here, you little penny-pincher, you can insult my sense of direction all you want, but my_ intellect _is far beyond that of yours!” she huffed as she looked back to Ricken._

_“Yes, dear? You wanted to ask something?”_

_“Y-yeah… what do you do for fun? Besides strategy games and sparring?” Ricken asked as he tried to stifle a laugh. Anna was behind Inanna making faces at her. Inanna’s ears perked up._

_“I fish! It’s a lot of fun; you should give it a try. It’s so easy you’ll have a bucket of fish by noon! Now, if you’ll excuse me…” She said before whipping around and launching herself claws-first at Anna’s face. Ricken took that as his cue to leave._

       Ricken chuckled at the memory, but it still didn’t change his current position. The bobber continued to lazily drift in the current, and while Ricken admitted watching it was relaxing, he could swear his blood pressure was rising with each passing minute. A short while later found him in the same position, the only change being that of his attitude.

 “‘It’s easy!’ she said. ‘You’ll have a bucket of fish by noon!’ she said… pft, bucket of fish my fanny…” he grumbled, now glaring at the fish surrounding the hook, staring at it.

“OH C’MON!!!! Take a bite, you stupid fish!” he shouted, succeeding only in scaring them off. His eyebrow twitched before hearing a chuckle behind him.

“Geez, Ricken, you ain’t gonna catch anythin’ at that rate!” Ricken turned around to face him on his spot atop a boulder near the stream and grinned.

“Hey, Donnel… yeah, I’m not much of a fisher… I’ve never tried it before…” Donnel cocked an eyebrow.

“Man, y’all really are sheltered…” Ricken winced.

“I know. I’m pretty pathetic… I’ve pretty much lived in the library my whole life.” he said with a sheepish grin while laughing. Donnel shook his head with a grin.

“Well, I ain’t got nothin’ better to do, so I’ll teach ya!” he said, Ricken’s face lighting up with a smile.

“Really?!”

“Yup! Now, what’re ya usin’ for bait?” Donnel said as he held a hand out for him to grab onto as he made his way down the rock. He shot him a confused look as he set down on the bank.

“Bait?” Donnel looked at him expectantly.

“Yeah, y’know? Bait? To lure the fish to the hook so’s they’ll bite it?” he said. Ricken cocked his head.

“That would probably help…” Donnel facepalmed.

“Ya mean ta tell me you’ve been tryin’ to fish without any bait?!” Ricken winced.

“Y-yeah, I didn’t think I’d need it… sorry. But I am using a _super_ strong line, so there’s no way a fish could break free!” Donnel just gave a little smile to comfort his friend.

“Hey, now, it’s alright… I shouldn’t have snapped like I did. Tell ya what, I’ll go get the lure set I brought with me and I’ll walk ya through this nice an’ simple.” Ricken practically beamed.

“Thank you sooo much Donny!! I’ll be the best student ever, I promise!” Donnel laughed a little bit.

“Alright, alright. Now, you know how to cast, right?” Ricken gave him a blank look.

“Mage, duh. Of course I know how to cast!!” Donnel shook his head.

“No, castin’ a fishin’ line’s totally different! Here, watch.” Donnel wrapped his hands around the smaller mage’s hands showing him the right way to hold it, and then showing him how to move his arms.

“Ya gettin’ it?” Ricken smirked.

“Yeah, I think I’ve got it now!”

“Good! Now, practice casting while I go get them lures!” Donnel said with a smirk. Ricken nodded and focused on the task at hand.

       Donnel had barely taken ten steps from the spot before he heard a yelp from the little mage. Donnel sighed as he turned around, only to see Ricken’s robes hung up around his waist, each tug on the line hiking them up further. Donnel couldn’t help but laugh. Ricken glared at the pole and then him, face flushed in embarrassment. 

“I-it’s not funny!!” he said as Donnel came over and worked the hook out of the fabric.

“Ricken, there ain’t nothin to be ashamed of. You’re a beginner; laugh about it! At least it didn’t get caught in yer lip!” Ricken winced, noticing a little scar above Donnel’s lip.

“Ouch…” Donnel laughed.

“Well, at least I didn’t try to dig it out with another hook like that bonehead Clarence.” Ricken laughed, making Donnel smile.

“There, see? Finally got a laugh outta ya! I’ll be right back. Now, try to _avoid_ gettin’ your skirt all hung up!” Ricken gave him a little punch on the shoulder.

“It’s not a skirt!!” Donnel just laughed and waved as he headed back to camp.

\-----

‘I hope everything’s going alright…’ Stahl thought as he wandered around the edge of camp in search of firewood. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought of what Ricken might look like fighting a fish at the end of the line.

“Heya, Stahl! What’cha up to?” Donnel asked from a little footpath he was on.

“Getting firewood! You?”

“Teachin’ a mage how ta fish!” Stahl laughed as Donnel came closer.

“Good luck with that. Inanna said he was having no luck at all…” Donnel shook his head.

“That durn tactician coulda helped him out, if she was just watchin’ him!” Stahl shook his head dramatically.

“Oh, Heavens, no! I just supervise! Remember, those of us without opposable thumbs must stick to something we are capable of, like keeping watch!” He said, imitating the tactician-turned-cat’s odd accent and speech perfectly. Donnel laughed.

“Man alive, how’d ya learn to mimic like that?!”

“Oh, it’s just a little trick I picked up when I was still in training.”

“Shucks, I’d love ta learn if ya could teach me!”

“Well, maybe some other time… Fredrick’s gonna flip if I don’t have at least a few stacks of wood back to the camp by supper.” Donnel shuddered.

“Well, I’ll leave ya to it, then! Ya don’t wanna get him cross… he gets madder than a wet hen when ya ain’t got yer work done! Oh, and watch out for hooks! The stream’s over yonder and Ricken’s practicing his casting.”

“I’m not too worried; the line can’t get all the way over here! And just a heads-up, Fredrick’s on a cleaning spree, so don’t let him see you! He’ll put you to work in a heartbeat.” Donnel gulped.

“Thanks for the warnin’…”

“SON OF A GRIFFIN!!” Donnel winced at the yell.

“Speakin’ of givin’ a warnin’…” Stahl shook his head with a chuckle.

“Go save him…”

“Yeah, Naga knows when it comes ta stuff outside of books, that boy couldn’t pour water outta a boot if the instructions was on the heel… gotta love the guy, though. Hang on, Ricken, I’m comin’!” Donnel shouted in the direction of the shout as he disappeared into the trees.

‘It’s good to see those two making friends…’ he thought as he bent and picked up a log.

\-----

 “Now what in tarnation did you get up to while I was gone, Ricken?!” Donnel said in astonishment as he took in the sight of the mage hanging from a tree near the bank, suspended by the fishing line being attached to his robes and the fishing pole in his hands.

“W-well, you see… I tried casting and the line got hung up in the tree, so I tried reeling it back, and the next thing I know I’m up here!” Donnel laughed.

“Boy… how’d your parent’s ever survive that luck a yer’s?” Ricken laughed.

“They managed. Now can you get me down? I’m having flashbacks to the wedgies the prefects used to give underclassmen…” he said as he wiggled uncomfortably. Donnel chuckled.

“Alright, just let the line have some slack… nice an’ easy… there ya go!” he said as Ricken lowered himself to the ground. Ricken turned in a circle as he set down.

“What’re you doin’?!” Donnel said with a laugh. Ricken glared at the hem of his robes.

“Looking for that demon hook!! It’s got an affinity for underwear or something! It’s all I’ve caught all day!!” Donnel shook his head.

“Ricken, it’s a hook. It’s _metal_. It ain’t gonna know a fish from a pair a tidy-whiteys any which day a the week!” He said as he spotted it and untangled it from the hem. Ricken sighed.

“If you say so…”

“Yeah, I do say so! Now, let’s take a break from castin’ for yer own safety. Here, lemme show ya how ta tie on a lure.” Donnel said as he sat by the shore, opening the lure box. Ricken nodded and sat next to him.

       The next hour or so was spent getting Ricken’s fingers used to the feeling of tying complicated knots and picking which lures would work best. At long last, Ricken finally was ready to give fishing a shot. The first few casts were unsuccessful, but soon they had the bucketful of fish Ricken had set out for.

“Woohoo! Finally! Now I can stick it to that stupid cat!!” Ricken said as Donnel packed up the lures.

“Whatever floats yer boat, Ricken… ya wanna give it one more cast?” he asked without looking up. Ricken grinned.

“Sure, why not! We’ve got room for one more fish in there!” he said. He pulled back and cast the line with plenty of slack, thinking that it had hit the water… but in all actuality, it had landed somewhere across the stream… in a slightly more _sensitive_ area.

\-----

 ‘Now, what was that?’ Stahl thought as he turned to look what had made the little ‘tink’ noise before feeling something tugging at his underwear and then stopping. He looked behind him before shrugging.

‘Eh, whatever. I’m probably hearing things from not taking any breaks. Might as well stop for the day; this is my last pile of wood, after all!’ he thought happily as he headed back to camp.

\-----

 “Fredrick, you’re a slave driver.” Stahl said flatly as he walked back into camp, noticing almost everyone was doing something.

“I am not! I’m simply making sure the work is equally divided! Everyone in camp has had exactly one task to complete today, and after that I let them spend the day as they please!” he said from his spot next to a portable tea table, Chrom to his right.

“Oh, how nice… Yes you are! You’ve even got… wait, is that Lon’qu doing laundry?” he asked in confusion as the swordsman hung up smallclothes to dry, blushing profusely as he picked up a pair of panties to hang.

“Ah, c’mon, it ain’t that bad!” Sully said from her spot on a stump near the clothesline, munching on an apple. Lon’qu grumbled and ignored her. Stahl had to suppress a chuckle. Chrom smirked.

“I’ll get him over his fear of women yet…” he said. Stahl shook his head as he noticed the pair was sitting at Virion’s tea table.

“What are you two doing, then?” Chrom smiled.

“Virion said he’s got a new tea blend and I was a bit curious to try it out!” Fredrick smirked.

“We’re waiting on him to finish brewing it.” Stahl sighed.

“Man, you nobles and your tea… well, I guess that I’m done for the day!” He said as he went around Lon’qu to set the firewood with the other stacks. He turned back and started helping Lon’qu with the laundry, Lon’qu muttering his thanks.

“Ah, and what have we here? Stahl, my good sir! Would you like to try some tea? It’s a new blend I’ve developed!” Virion said as he walked out of the mess tent, noticing Stahl attempting to strike up a conversation with Lon’qu as he helped him hang laundry. He was carrying a tray with a steaming tea set on it.

“Nah, I’m alright. Unless there’s those little cookies of yours involved! Are there?” Virion chuckled.

“I’m afraid not, my friend; I hadn’t the time nor ingredients to make them. Alas, you don’t know what you’re missing! It’s a special blend of ro-”

“I’m good, Virion. The offer’s appreciated, but I’m not much of a tea drinker. I’m sure Chrom and Fredrick will get a kick out of it, though! I’m just gonna keep helping Lon’qu with the laundry!” he said as he held up a red and black lacy chemise. Virion flushed red as he turned on his heel.

“AHEM! Yes, well, you do that…”  Sully smirked at him as he headed over to the table.

“Ah, what’s wrong, Ruffles? My chemise too much for ya?” She called after him with a smirk. Virion froze as a shiver went up his spine, continuing on shortly after. Sully laughed.

“You two should just get married already.” Lon’qu said as he hung up a pair of boxers. Sully’s turn to blush.

“Ah, shaddup! I’m outta here, my horse needs grooming… oh, and just so you know, I was just pulling Virion’s leg. That thing ain’t mine.” She said as she walked away. Stahl and Lon’qu both paused and looked at it closer in confusion.

“Then whose?” both muttered at the same time.

“Ah! There it is. I’ve been searching for that for the better half of today. Thank you for laundering it for me.” Miriel said as she removed it from the line. Both watched her walk back to her tent in awe.

“Who’d have thought…” Stahl said. Lon’qu grunted in agreement.

“Well, then! I’m gonna go grab a quick bite while I rework my impression of Miriel. See ya ‘round!” He said as he headed to the tent before tripping over a lance and feeling that tug at his underwear again... before getting dragged backwards.

“AAAAH!” he shouted as he accidentally knocked Lon’qu into the laundry basket, Lon’qu resurfacing with wide eyes as he saw what had gotten stuck to his shirt.

\-----

 “Alright, Ricken, I think it’s time to head back. Reel ‘er in…” Donnel said with a sigh as he noticed the sun setting. Ricken pouted.

“Ah, c’mon! Just a little longer? I swear I’m about to get a-WHOA!” Ricken yelped in surprise as the line suddenly became taut and he was tugged forward. Donnel grabbed onto him to keep him out of the water.

“Hang on, Ricken! This one’s a fighter!!” he said as he helped him reel, unaware of what was on the other end of the line.

\-----

 “Virion, you’ve outdone yourself!” Fredrick said as he took another sip from the cup, loving the flavor of the tea.

“I’m actually impressed with this. What’s in it?” Chrom asked, looking down at the cup. Virion smiled.

“A blend of stevia, rosehips and rose petals, lavender, chamomile, and mint. I’m glad to know you both like it! Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to record the exact amounts I used this time…” Chrom cocked his head.

“This time?”

“Yes, I’ve had several errors. One was so bad that I was seeing things for a good hour! But I’m glad to know that everything’s finally worked out!” he said as he headed back to his tent.

“Fredrick…”

“Calm down, milord. I drink Virion’s tea all the time and have never had anything odd happen to me. So please relax and enjoy the-”

“HEELP MEEE!!!” Stahl screamed as he was dragged across the ground by some invisible force right in front of the table at a speed neither of them thought possible. Lon’qu was screaming in fear as well, stumbling past them as he tried in vain to get a corset untangled from the straps on his shirt.

       Both Fredrick and Chrom looked to each other, then the tea, and promptly poured out their cups onto the ground. Virion came back just in time to witness Chrom rubbing his eyes in disbelief as Fredrick poured the rest of the tea out. Virion spluttered indignantly.

“N-now see here! That’s a perfectly good waste of tea!!” He said as he marched over to Fredrick, wagging his finger in a condescending manner. Fredrick merely cocked an eyebrow.

“You still need some work on the blend…” was all he said before walking back to his tent, obviously perturbed about something. Chrom stood up and shook his head.

“Yeah, you might want to consider a different composition…” he said, heading to his own tent. Virion cocked his head.

“How peculiar…” he muttered… before Lon’qu went stumbling by again, still having a freak-out. Virion was taken aback as he disappeared behind the tents.

“…very peculiar…” he said as he went back to his own tent for some apparently needed rest.

\-----

 “Miriel, I can’t believe those things are actually yours!” Sully said in astonishment as she folded more chemises similar to the one she’d collected earlier from a clothesline a little farther away from the camp. Miriel chortled.

“Well, I am a lady! I like to indulge in fineries ever now and again just like any other woman…” she said. Anna snorted.

“I’m pretty sure a ‘lady’ wouldn’t wear those…” she said as she looked at them with a slight blush. Inanna cackled.

“Maribelle would probably faint if she so much as caught a _glimpse_ of those little numbers!” she said as she motioned to one with her paw. Miriel frowned.

“That asinine knave is no ‘lady’, no matter how much she likes to think she is. Donnel has better manners than her… ‘fine breeding’, my ass.” Sully let out a low sliding whistle as Anna and Inanna laughed.

“Sheesh, rowr! Kitty’s got claws!” She said before seeing something moving their way and fast. All of the girls noticed as it got closer and stepped out of its path, except for a certain feline.

“I say… is that a Stahl I spy?” Inanna said as she held a paw over her eyes before promptly getting hit by said person. Miriel and all the girls gasped as they dashed ahead to grab him. Inanna stood up shakily.

“Oh, yes… the cat that just got run over is fine! Let’s go chase after the thing that ran her over without checking on her…” she muttered grumpily as she stood up and shook the dust from her fur before heading back to camp, wanting nothing to do with the situation.

“Hang on, Stahl!!” Anna shouted in a strained voice as they fought against the pull. He clung to her hands as all of them pulled back, before a loud tear and a pained yelp was heard from Stahl and they all went crashing into a heap.

“Oof… my word! Is everyone all right?” Miriel asked as she stood up, dusting herself off. Sully stood up, doing the same.

“I’m good, but Stahl ain’t looking so hot…” she said, noticing him curled up in a whimpering ball. Anna put a hand on his shoulder.

“Stahl, you alright?” she asked.

“Yep, just let me recover…” he said, his voice an octave higher than usual. Miriel sighed.

“Come on, ladies. Let’s get him back to camp…” she said as she bent down to pick him up, Anna and Sully following suit.

\-----

       Ricken and Donnel both looked at the pair of boxers dangling from the end of the hook, both on the ground from the sudden release of tension. Ricken began giggling, followed shortly by Donnel, before both of them were in stitches.

“Maybe you were right after all, Ricken! Maybe that hook IS after undies!!” he managed to get out between laughs. Ricken gasped for air.

“See?! I told you!!” Both laughed a little longer before finally settling down and heading back to camp, boxers still dangling from the hook.

“Alright Stahl, are you feeling better?” Miriel asked as she sat him down on a pillow near the fire pit. Stahl shuddered.

“Y-yeah, I think so…” he said, voice finally back to normal. Miriel heard chattering that could only belong to one duo in camp and turned to see them, a bucket of fish and lure box in Donnel’s hands while Ricken carried a fishing pole with a pair of boxers stuck on the hook.

“So that’s what happened...” Miriel said with a chuckle. Stahl looked up and couldn’t help but chuckle a little as well, what had happened earlier finally making sense.

“Heya, Stahl! Lookit all the fish we- what? What’s so funny?” Donnel asked. Stahl shook his head.

“I’m assuming the underwear gave you the biggest fight?” Ricken blushed a little and laughed sheepishly.

“Yeah. I feel sorry for the guy they belong to. He must’ve gotten the world’s worst wedgie…” Stahl laughed.

“Apology accepted.”

“Wait these are-?! Oh, geez, I’m sooo sorry Stahl!!” Donnel laughed.

“I _told_ ya to watch out for hooks!” Stahl chuckled.

“Yeah, I’ll take your advice next time!!” Ricken bit his bottom lip.

“Are you mad?” Stahl sighed.

“Nah… it was an honest accident. I’m just glad you caught all that trout! It’s my favorite! Tell ya what, give me the biggest one for dinner, and we’ll call it even.” Ricken grinned.

“Deal!”

“Well, it’s a good thing the fish were bitin’ today! The boxers… not so much…” Donnel quipped. Miriel adjusted her glasses.

“Donnel, while we all appreciate the humor, smallclothes are inanimate objects and therefore cannot ‘bite’ anything…” Stahl made a noise of disagreement.

“I beg to differ, my boxers bit _quite_ hard when they got yanked off! Besides Miriel, he’s just cracking a joke, not everything _has_ to be logical all the-” Just as he was about to finish his statement, Lon’qu went by screaming something along the lines of ‘GET THIS DAMN THING OFF!!!’ and a multitude of Feroxi curses.

“…I think that there just invalidated yer argument, Miss Miriel…” Donnel said with a smirk. Ricken watched him stumble into the mess tent, still cursing a blue streak.

“…should we go help him?” Stahl, Miriel, and Donnel all smirked evilly.

“Nah…”

**Author's Note:**

> That's what you get for being a standoffish jerk, Lon'qu.


End file.
